6 replies to this topic

[Time_Traveller]

Supernovas -- stars in the process of exploding -- open a window onto the history of the elements of Earth's periodic table as well as the history of the universe. All of those heavier than oxygen were formed in nuclear reactions that occurred during these explosions.

From http://www.scienceda...11005090434.htm

It is interesting where Earth gets its Iron from.

[Hogbobson]

Why, it is only in the extreme conditions of a supernova where any elements heavier than iron can be formed, and only in a dying red giant anything is helium fusioned into heavier elements.
I believe the heavier elements from a supernova is created by the lighter elements capturing neutrons from the explosion, and beta-radiation creates more protons. Oh look, is that lead?
It's especially interesting to think about where the limit is. Technically this process can create very heavy elements. I'm talking elements with more protons than ununoctium. Their instability quicly degenerates these atoms into more stable isotopes, but we don't know where the limit is. It all happens so fast.

[Craven]

It's because even immense pressure and energies released during fusion inside stellar cores aren't enough to squeeze enough protons and neutrons into one atom. Only violent explosion of supernova can achieve enough energy to do that.
So if you're married, you probably have corpse of star that went supernova on your finger

[Roh234]

I think super novae produced elemets up to 82 and hyper novae elements up to ???.

[Craven]

And so we enter fuzzy nomenclature
Brown dwarf or small red dwarf? Supernova or Hypernova? Is that rocky planet or super-earth

[ExplorerAtHeart]

Is that rocky planet or super-earth

Super Earths are rocky planets..

[Hogbobson]

Is that rocky planet or super-earth

Super Earths are rocky planets..

But rocky planets are not necessarily super-earths.